Orthodontic appliance with snap fitted, non-sliding archwire

ABSTRACT

An orthodontic appliance may include an archwire and multiple orthodontic brackets. The archwire may fit within a human mouth and contain multiple male connectors. Each orthodontic bracket may have a configuration that facilitates attaching the orthodontic bracket to a single tooth. Each orthodontic bracket may allow one of the male connectors to be locked into the orthodontic bracket with a snapping action. The male connector may be unable to slide with respect to the orthodontic bracket after being locked in the orthodontic bracket. A manual unlocking action may allow the male connector to disengage from the orthodontic bracket.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based upon and claims priority to U.S. provisionalpatent application 61/720,263, entitled “Frictionless, Self-Activating,Self-Limiting, and Self-Contained,” filed Oct. 30, 2012, attorney docketnumber 028080-0797. The entire content of this application isincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

This disclosure relates to orthodontic appliances, including archwiresand associated orthodontic brackets.

Description of Related Art

Orthodontic appliances are commonly used to correct misaligned teeth.

There are many types of orthodontic appliances. However, each may havedrawbacks, such as requiring too much time to prepare and/or install.

One type of orthodontic appliance is the pin and tube appliance. The pinand tube appliance can control the movement and position of each toothin three-dimensional space. It can include an orthodontic archwire witha male “pin” that inserts into a female vertical “tube” that is attachedto the tooth. The pin and tube do not move relative to each other.Interproximal loops can be placed in between the teeth to move the teethto open or close spaces.

However, the pin and tube appliance can present challenges, including:

-   -   Custom bends and interdental loops may have to be bent manually        in the archwire for the pins to fit into the vertical tubes and        for the archwire to move the teeth to the desired location. This        process may need to be performed manually by a human and may be        very demanding and tedious.    -   The male pin may need to be soldered onto the orthodontic        archwire with a needed inclination. As the teeth move, the pins        may need to be unsoldered and re-soldered to new locations. This        may also be a very demanding and tedious manual process.    -   The solder joint between the male pin and orthodontic archwire        may break.    -   The orthodontic archwire may be difficult to insert and remove        from the patient because the locking mechanism may require        bending the male insert over the tube to lock and un-bending the        male insert from the tube to unlock.    -   Stainless steel wires may be needed. Because of elastic        limitations of stainless steel, many different size wires with        different properties may need to be used for each case. The may        complicate wire bending, pin soldering, and locking, and        unlocking procedures when changing wires.    -   The device may be ineffective in dealing with axial rotations of        teeth.

Another type of orthodontic appliances is the edgewise appliance. Anedgewise appliance may include orthodontic brackets (with rectangularslots) that are bonded onto each tooth. An archwire that is rectangularin cross-section may fit into rectangular slots in the orthodonticbrackets.

However, the edgewise appliance can present problems, including:

-   -   It may require significant custom wire bending along three axis        (or three orders) due to differences in tooth size and tooth        position. These axis may include in-out (first order bend),        up-down (second order bend), and faciolingual inclination (3rd        order bend).    -   The wire may need to be tied to an orthodontic edgewise        orthodontic bracket. This can be time consuming, especially if        the brackets are behind the teeth, also known as lingual braces.    -   Sliding the archwire with respect to the orthodontic bracket can        require application of external forces. Frequent appointments        may be required to ensure that these external forces do not        overcorrect or under-correct the amount of desired movement.    -   This system may depend heavily on sliding between the        orthodontic bracket and archwire to move teeth. However, the        amount of sliding that can be achieved can be difficult to        predict due to the unpredictable nature of the amount of        friction to overcome. This can again require frequent monthly        appointments to ensure that the tooth moves in the desired        amount.

Another type of orthodontic appliances is the pre-adjusted,straight-wire appliance that uses nickel-titanium wires. This appliancecan minimize the amount archwire bending that is required in edgewiseappliances. The shape memory, super-elasticity, and lower modulus ofelasticity features of shape memory alloys can lower the amount of forcedelivered to the teeth and significantly reduce the pathologic lesionsas a result of heavy force use from rigid stainless steel wires. Thelarge range of movement for some of shape memory alloy archwires canreduce the number of archwires required for treatment and, as such,reduce the number of activation appointments that are needed.

However, the pre-adjusted straight-wire appliance can presentchallenges. For example, considerable time may be required to tie thearchwire into the orthodontic bracket, especially when lingual bracesare used. The appliance may also still rely heavily on sliding theorthodontic bracket relative to the archwire to open and close space. Toovercome the unpredictable amount of friction that is generated,frequent monthly appointments may still be required to ensure that thecorrect amount of movement is achieved.

Another type of orthodontic appliance uses self-ligating orthodonticbrackets. These may reduce the amount of time and effort required to tiea wire into an orthodontic straight-wire appliance. Various types ofdoors and latches may be provided to replace tying the orthodontic wire.These doors and latches can make it easier to deliver and changeorthodontic archwires. They can also eliminate the unnecessary tying anduntying of archwires at appointments when the archwire does not need tobe changed. Self-ligating orthodontic brackets can also provide ametal-to-metal interface between the orthodontic slot and the wire,reducing the amount of friction when moving teeth.

However, self-ligating orthodontic brackets can present problems,including:

-   -   Self-ligating orthodontic brackets can sacrifice torque control        of the teeth because of a high degree of orthodontic slop that        can be present between the orthodontic slot and the archwire.    -   Self-ligating orthodontic brackets may rely heavily on sliding        the orthodontic bracket relative to the archwire to open and        close space. Thus, frequent monthly appointments can still be        required to ensure that the correct amount of movement is        achieved.    -   Self-ligating orthodontic brackets can be bulkier than other        types of orthodontic brackets. This can make control of the        teeth much more difficult when using the orthodontic brackets on        the lingual surface (behind the teeth) because there may be less        interdental space between the orthodontic brackets, resulting in        a much more rigid wire that can be harder to control.    -   Self-ligating orthodontic brackets can have several moving parts        that can break under wear from occlusal forces in the mouth or        from normal use of the appliance.

CAD/CAM technology can also be used in connection with orthodontics.This technology can be used to create an expected desired end resultprior to the starting of orthodontic treatment. Customized wires andorthodontic brackets can be designed based on the expected desired endresult of the orthodontic treatment to reduce the amount of doctorintervention required at each appointment.

However, using CAD/CAM technology may not overcome all of the problemsassociated with the orthodontic appliances, such as:

-   -   These customized appliances can rely heavily on sliding the        orthodontic bracket relative to the archwire to open and close        space. Thus, frequent appointments may still be required to        ensure that adequate force is delivered to achieve sufficient        tooth movement.    -   Customized orthodontic brackets can also be difficult to tie in,        especially when placed on the lingual surface of the teeth.    -   Customized self-ligating orthodontic brackets can be bulky,        difficult to control, and damage prone.

SUMMARY

An orthodontic appliance may include an archwire and multipleorthodontic brackets. The archwire may fit within a human mouth andcontain multiple male connectors. Each orthodontic bracket may have aconfiguration that facilitates attaching the bracket to a single tooth.Each orthodontic bracket may allow one of the male connectors to belocked into the orthodontic bracket with a snapping action. The maleconnector may be unable to slide with respect to the orthodontic bracketafter being locked in the orthodontic bracket. A manual unlocking actionmay allow the male connector to disengage from the orthodontic bracket.

Each male connector may be a male loop, have a U or rectangular shape,and or may be an integral portion of the archwire.

The archwire may include an interproximal loop between each neighboringset of male loops. The interproximal loops may face in the same or theopposite direction as the male loops. Each interproximal loop may be anintegral portion of the archwire.

Each orthodontic bracket may have a slot into which a male connector isinserted during the snapping action. Each slot may have an inclinedsurface across which a portion of the male loop slides during thesnapping action. Each inclined surface may end in an edge over which aportion of the male loop slides at the end of the snapping action.

Each slot may have two parallel rails that surround and contact anexterior portion of the male loop and prevent the male loop from movinglaterally with respect to the orthodontic bracket after the male loop isinserted into the orthodontic bracket and locked by the snapping action.

Each slot may have a floor that contacts a side of the male loop andthat comes between the male loop and the tooth to which the orthodonticbracket is attached after the male loop is inserted into the orthodonticbracket and locked by the snapping action.

Each slot may have a bridge that contacts an opposite side of the maleloop after the male loop is inserted into the orthodontic bracket andlocked by the snapping action.

Each inclined surface may bend while the male loop is being insertedinto the orthodontic bracket and unbend at the end of the snappingaction. Each inclined surface may instead not bend while the male loopis being inserted into the orthodontic bracket.

The archwire may include two legs connecting each male connector to thearchwire. Each slot may include two concave portions that each seat oneof the two legs during the locking.

Each male loop may have side legs. Each orthodontic bracket may includea stop that prevents the side legs from collapsing when the male loop islocked in the orthodontic bracket.

These, as well as other components, steps, features, objects, benefits,and advantages, will now become clear from a review of the followingdetailed description of illustrative embodiments, the accompanyingdrawings, and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The drawings are of illustrative embodiments. They do not illustrate allembodiments. Other embodiments may be used in addition or instead.Details that may be apparent or unnecessary may be omitted to save spaceor for more effective illustration. Some embodiments may be practicedwith additional components or steps and/or without all of the componentsor steps that are illustrated. When the same numeral appears indifferent drawings, it refers to the same or like components or steps.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate an archwire that includes male loops that areconfigured to be inserted from the gingival direction and that areseparated by interproximal loops. FIG. 1A illustrates an enlargedtwo-teeth section of the archwire; and FIG. 1B illustrates the entirearchwire.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate a different archwire that includes male loopsthat may be inserted from the occlusal direction and that are separatedby interproximal loops. FIG. 2A illustrates an enlarged two-teethsection of the archwire; and FIG. 2B illustrates the entire archwire.

FIGS. 3A-3H illustrate an orthodontic bracket into which a male loop ofan archwire may be snap fitted. FIG. 3A illustrates the orthodonticbracket without any male loop; FIG. 3B illustrates the orthodonticbracket after a loop has been snapped into the orthodontic bracket; FIG.3C is a cross-section of the view illustrated in FIG. 3B taken along thebroken line 3C-3C′ in FIG. 3B; FIG. 3D is an occlusal view; FIG. 3E is across-section of the view illustrated in FIG. 3A taken along the line3C-3C′ in FIG. 3A with a springboard removed; FIG. 3F illustrates theorthodontic bracket without any male loop; FIG. 3G is a cross-section ofthe view illustrated in FIG. 3B taken along the broken line 3G/H-3G/H′in FIG. 3B when the distance between a free end of a springboard and abridge is less than half the diameter of the male loop wire; and FIG. 3His a cross-section of the view illustrated in FIG. 3B taken along thebroken line 3G/H-3G/H′ in FIG. 3B when the distance between the free endof the springboard and the bridge is more than the diameter of the maleloop wire.

FIGS. 4A-4E illustrate a different configuration of an orthodonticbracket into which a male loop of an archwire may be snap fitted. FIG.4A illustrates the orthodontic bracket without any male loop; FIG. 4Billustrates the orthodontic bracket after the male loop has been snappedinto the orthodontic bracket; FIG. 4C is a cross-section of the view inFIG. 4B taken along the broken line 4C/D/E-4C/D/E′ in FIG. 4B; FIG. 4Dis a cross-section of the view in FIG. 4B taken along the broken line4C/D/E-4C/D/E′ in FIG. 4B when the distance between a free end of aspringboard and a floor is less than half the diameter of the male loopwire; and FIG. 4E is a cross-section of the view in FIG. 4B taken alongthe broken line 4C/D/E-4C/D/E′ in FIG. 4B when the distance between thefree end of the springboard and the floor is more than the diameter ofthe male loop wire.

FIGS. 5A-5E illustrate a different configuration of an orthodonticbracket into which a male loop of an archwire may be snap fitted. FIG.5A illustrates the orthodontic bracket without any male loop; FIG. 5Billustrates the orthodontic bracket after a male loop has been snappedinto the orthodontic bracket; FIG. 5C is a cross-section of the view inFIG. 5B taken along the broken line 5C/D/E-5C/D/E′ in FIG. 5B; FIG. 5Dis a cross-section of the view in FIG. 5B taken along the broken line5C/D/E-5C/D/E′ in FIG. 5B when the distance between a free end of aspringboard and a floor is less than the half the diameter of the maleloop wire; and FIG. 5E is a cross-section of the view in FIG. 5B takenalong the broken line 5C/D/E-5C/D/E′ in FIG. 5B when the distancebetween the free end of the springboard and the floor is more than thediameter of the male loop wire.

FIGS. 6A-6F illustrate a different configuration of an orthodonticbracket into which a male loop of an archwire may be snap fitted. FIG.6A illustrates the orthodontic bracket without any male loop; FIG. 6Billustrates the orthodontic bracket after the male loop has been snappedinto the orthodontic bracket; FIG. 6C is a bottom view of a bridge andspringboard in FIG. 6B; FIG. 6D is a cross section of the view in FIG.6B taken along the broken line 6D/E/F-6D/E/F′ in FIG. 6B; FIG. 6E is across-section of the view in FIG. 6B taken along the broken line6D/E/F-6D/E/F′ in FIG. 6B when the distance between a free end of thespringboard and a floor is less than the half the diameter of the maleloop wire; and FIG. 6F is a cross-section of the view in FIG. 6B takenalong the broken line 6D/E/F-6D/E/F′ in FIG. 6B when the distancebetween the free end of the springboard and the floor is more than thediameter of the male loop wire.

FIGS. 7A-7F illustrate a different configuration of an orthodonticbracket into which a male loop of an archwire may be snap fitted. FIG.7A illustrates the orthodontic bracket without any male loop; FIG. 7Billustrates the orthodontic bracket after the male loop has been snappedinto the orthodontic bracket; FIG. 7C is a cross-section of the view inFIG. 7B taken along the broken line 7C/E/F-7C/E/F′ in FIG. 5B; FIG. 7Dis a cross-section of the view in FIG. 7A taken along the broken line7D-7D′ in FIG. 7A; FIG. 7E is a cross-section of the view in FIG. 7Btaken along the broken line 7C/E/F-7C/E/F′ in FIG. 7B when the height ofthe springboard blocks the withdraw of the male loop; and FIG. 7F is across-section of the view in FIG. 7B taken along the broken line7C/E/F-7C/E/F′ in FIG. 7B when the male loop is lifted beyond the heightof the springboard to allow withdraw of the male loop.

FIGS. 8A-8E illustrate a different configuration of an orthodonticbracket into which a male loop of an archwire may be snap fitted. FIG.8A illustrates the orthodontic bracket without any male loop; FIG. 8Billustrates the orthodontic bracket after the male loop has been snappedinto the orthodontic bracket; FIG. 8C is a cross-section of the view inFIG. 8B taken along the broken line 8C/D/E-8C/D/E′ in FIG. 8B; FIG. 8Dis a cross-section of the view in FIG. 8B taken along the broken line8C/E/F-8C/E/F′ in FIG. 8B when the height of the springboard blocks thewithdraw of the male loop; and FIG. 8F is a cross-section of the view inFIG. 8B taken along the broken line 8C/E/F-8C/E/F′ in FIG. 8B when themale loop is lifted beyond the height of the springboard to allowwithdraw of the male loop.

FIGS. 9A-9B illustrate a different configuration of an orthodonticbracket and a different configuration of an archwire. FIG. 9Aillustrates the orthodontic bracket and archwire in a snapped position;and FIG. 9B is a cross-section of the view in FIG. 9A taken along thebroken line 9B-9B′.

FIGS. 10A-10C illustrate a different configuration of an orthodonticbracket and a different configuration of an archwire. FIG. 10Aillustrates the different configuration of the archwire with aprotuberance; FIG. 10B illustrates an example a self-ligating bracketthat is modified to have a compartment; and FIG. 10C is a view of thebracket in FIG. 10A with a self-ligating door removed.

FIG. 11 illustrates a different configuration of an orthodontic bracketand a different configuration of an archwire.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Illustrative embodiments are now described. Other embodiments may beused in addition or instead. Details that may be apparent or unnecessarymay be omitted to save space or for a more effective presentation. Someembodiments may be practiced with additional components or steps and/orwithout all of the components or steps that are described.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate an archwire 101 that includes male loops 107that each include legs 103, sidebars 109, and an arc portion 111. Themale loops 107 may be configured to be inserted gingivally and may beseparated by interproximal loops 105. The legs 103 may interconnect themale loops 107 and the interproximal loops 105. FIG. 1A illustrates anenlarged two-teeth section of the archwire 101; and FIG. 1B illustratesthe entire archwire 101.

The male loops 107 of the archwire 101 may be configured to snap fitinto an orthodontic bracket such that it will not slide with respect tothe orthodontic bracket after it has been snap fit to the bracket.Examples of orthodontic brackets that may be used for this purpose arediscussed below in connection with the discussion of FIGS. 1-9. Eachorthodontic bracket may be bonded to a tooth and may serve to couple oneof the male loops 107 to the tooth to which the orthodontic bracket isbonded and thus force the tooth to move in accordance with force that isapplied to it by its male loop. The orthodontic force for moving teethmay come from the archwire 101 after it is deflected within its elasticslimits and when each of its male loops are snapped into a correspondingorthodontic bracket.

The archwire 101 may be custom designed based on the position of theteeth when they are set in an expected finished alignment. The archwire101 may be fabricated such that when the archwire 101 is deflectedwithin its elastic range, the archwire 101 may return to its originalshape reflecting the expected finished alignment of the teeth.

To engage the archwire 101 into an orthodontic bracket on a misalignedtooth, temporary deflections of the archwire 101 may take place. Thearchwire can be made of any material, such as a shape memory alloy,beta-titanium, or stainless steels.

Between each neighboring set of the male loops 107 may be one of theinterproximal loops 105 located to correspond to an interdental spaceafter installation. The male loops 107 may be connected to theinterproximal loops 105 by the archwire legs 103.

Each male loop 107 may be configured in a U or rectangular shape so asto match a U or rectangular shape of a springboard that is part of theorthodontic bracket. Examples of springboards are also discussed below.Each of the male loops 107 may have two substantially parallel side bars109 and the arc portion 111. The interproximal loops 105 located in theinterdental space may have a different shape, such as U, T, tear-drop,triangular, rectangular, or boot shape. The archwire legs 103 may beparallel to the bite plane when they are left in a passive position. Thedirections of the male loops 107 may reflect the mesio-distal angulationand facio-lingual inclination of the teeth in the expected finishingsetup of the teeth. The interproximal loops 105 may point towards thegingival direction, although they may not be all parallel to oneanother. Interproximal loops 105 may be oriented to be very close to butnot touching the gums. One or more of the male loops 107 and/orinterproximal loops 105 may be omitted and replaced by a straight wire,such as in the case of missing teeth or when their respective functionsare not necessary. All of the legs 103, the interproximal loops 105, andthe male loops 107 may be part of a single continuous wire, bent to formthese sub-components. The single wire may not have any componentattached to it prior to snapping it into the orthodontic brackets.

The male loops 107 may point to the occlusal direction when theorthodontic brackets are oriented in such a way as to allow the archwire101 to be inserted from the gingival to the occlusal direction.

Users may instead wish to insert the archwire 101 from the occlusal tothe gingival direction, in which case the male loops 107 may point tothe gingival direction and the orthodontic brackets may be bonded to thetooth 180 degrees from the orientation needed for the insertion in theocclusal description.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate a different archwire 201 that may includemale loops 207 that each includes legs 203, side bars 209, and an arcportion 211. The male loops 207 may be configured to be inserted fromthe occlusal direction and may be separated by interproximal loops 205.FIG. 2A illustrates an enlarged two-teeth section of the archwire 201;and FIG. 2B illustrates the entire archwire 201.

Each orthodontic bracket may be bonded to a tooth, oriented so that ithas a mesial side towards the midline of the dental arch; a distal sidethat is away from the midline of the dental arch; a gingival side thatis toward the gingivae; an occlusal side that is toward the bitingsurface of the teeth; a tooth side that is toward the tooth; and anon-tooth side that is away from the tooth. With respect to thedescriptions of different orthodontic brackets that follow in connectionwith FIGS. 1-9, the descriptions assume use of the archwire 101 so thatthe male loops are inserted from the gingival to the occlusal direction.However, all of these orthodontic brackets may also be used with thearchwire 201, in which case the male loops may be inserted from theocclusal to gingival direction. Each orthodontic bracket merely needs tobe rotated by 180 degrees with respect to the tooth to which it isbonded.

FIGS. 3A-3H illustrate an orthodontic bracket 301 into which a male loop359 of an archwire 353 may be snap fitted. FIG. 3A illustrates theorthodontic bracket 301 without any male loop; FIG. 3B illustrates theorthodontic bracket after the male loop 359 has been snapped into theorthodontic bracket; FIG. 3C is a cross-section of the view illustratedin FIG. 3B taken along the broken line 3C-3C′ in FIG. 3B; FIG. 3D is anocclusal view; FIG. 3E is a cross-section of the view illustrated inFIG. 3A taken along the line 3C-3C′ in FIG. 3A with a springboard 337removed; FIG. 3F illustrates the orthodontic bracket 301 without anymale loop; FIG. 3G is a cross-section of the view illustrated in FIG. 3Btaken along the broken line 3G/H-3G/H′ in FIG. 3B when the distancebetween a free end 343 of the springboard 337 and a bridge 307 is lessthan half the diameter of the male loop 359 wire; and FIG. 3H is across-section of the view illustrated in FIG. 3B taken along the brokenline 3G/H-3G/H′ in FIG. 3B when the distance between the free end 343 ofthe springboard 337 and the bridge 307 is more than the diameter of themale loop 359 wire.

The orthodontic bracket 301 may include an orthodontic bracket body 305,the springboard 337, and a base 303. The orthodontic bracket body 305may include six sides: the bridge 307 on a non-tooth side, a floor 309on the base 303, a stop 317 on the gingival side, an opening 327 on theocclusal side, and orthodontic bracket rails 329, one on the mesial sideand one on the distal side.

The opening 327 may be on the occlusal side of the orthodontic bracketbody 305. The opening 327 may allow access for machining the internalcomponents of the orthodontic bracket body 305.

The stop 317 may be on the gingival side of the orthodontic bracket body305. The stop 317 may combine with other structures to form an archwireinsertion slot 347, a vertical archwire slot 349, and a horizontalarchwire slot 351. The stop 317 may serves one or more functions inincreasing effective and efficient force transfer of the archwire 353 tothe orthodontic bracket 301 to move teeth. Examples of these functionsare discussed below. The archwire 353 may be of any type, such as thearchwire 101 or 201.

The mesial and distal sides of the orthodontic bracket body 305 mayinclude a vertical portion 331 of the orthodontic bracket rails 329. Thevertical portion 331 of the orthodontic bracket rails 329, together withthe bridge 307 and the floor 309, may form the vertical archwire slot349 for receiving a male loop 359. The male loop 359 may be of any type,such as the male loop 107 or 207.

A non-tooth side of the orthodontic bracket body 305 may include thebridge 307 that may connect the mesial and the distal orthodonticbracket rails 329. The bridge 307 may combine with other structures toform the archwire insertion slot 347, the vertical archwire slot 349,and the horizontal archwire slot 351. The bridge 307 may also servefunctions in increasing effective and efficient force transfer of thearchwire 353 to the orthodontic bracket 301 to move teeth. Examples ofthese functions are discussed further below.

The tooth-side of the orthodontic bracket body 305 may include the floor309. The floor 309 may combine with other structures to form thearchwire insertion slot 347, the vertical archwire slot 349, and thehorizontal archwire slot 351.

The floor 309 may have three levels.

A first floor level 311 may be the portion of the floor 309 level thatis closest to the bridge 307. The first floor level 311 may combine withthe bridge 307 and the vertical component of the orthodontic bracketrail 329 to form the vertical archwire slot 349. The side bars of themale loop 359 may ride along the first floor level 311 when the archwire353 is inserted and removed from the orthodontic bracket 301.

A second floor level 313 may be located between the first floor level311 and a third floor level 315. It may accommodate a springboard body339 when the springboard 337 is in an active unlocking position, asshown in FIG. 3H.

The third floor level 315 may be the portion of the floor 309 that isclosest to the orthodontic bracket base 303. The third floor level 315may have a depth that is slighter larger than the depth of a springboardprotuberance 345 such that it allows the springboard 337 to flex whenthe archwire 353 is inserted into the orthodontic bracket 301 (locking)or when an instrument is pressed against the springboard body 339(unlocking).

The bridge 307 may have an access port 357 in the middle to allow aninstrument to access and press down on the springboard 337.

The stop 317 may have a springboard slot 321. The springboard slot 321may be angulated such that a springboard slot outside opening 323 iscloser to the base 303 than a springboard slot inside opening 325.

The archwire insertion slot 347 may include a space bordered on threesides by the bridge 307, the floor 309, and the stop 317. The archwireinsertion slot 347 may be large enough to allow seating and insertion ofthe arc of the male loop 359.

The vertical archwire slot 349 may include a space bordered on threesides by the bridge 307, the floor 309, and the vertical portion 331 ofthe orthodontic bracket rail 329. The vertical archwire slot 349 may belarge enough to allow seating of the side bars of the male loop 359.

The horizontal archwire slot 351 may include a space bordered on threesides by an orthodontic bracket leg 335, the floor 309, and thehorizontal component 333 of the orthodontic bracket rail 329. Thehorizontal archwire slot 351 may be large enough to allow seating of theorthodontic bracket legs 335.

The springboard 337 may be a movable member of the orthodontic bracketbody 305. It may have a U or rectangular shape with the springboard body339 that has two parallel sides, a springboard plug 341 that is fixed tothe springboard slot 321, and a springboard free end 343. Thespringboard free end 343 may have the half-disc shaped springboardprotuberance 345 facing the floor 309. The springboard 337 may be heldat a position such that at the point where the springboard 337 exits thespringboard slot 321, the bridge 307 side of the springboard 337 may beslightly closer to the base 303 of the orthodontic bracket than thefirst floor level 311 is to the base 303 of the orthodontic bracket 301.This may ease snapping and unsnapping the archwire 353 from theorthodontic bracket 301. The occlusal end of the springboard 337 may becloser to the bridge 307 than the gingival end of the springboard 337,such that the space between the springboard free end 343 and the bridge307 may be less than half the diameter of the archwire 353 when thespringboard 337 is in the passive locked position (FIG. 3G). Thisconfiguration may provide a locking mechanism to keep the archwire 353in place when the orthodontic bracket 301 is in the snapped position.

The base 303 may provide more surface area and thus better bondingretention of the orthodontic bracket 301 to the tooth. The base 303 maybe larger than the floor 309 of the orthodontic bracket body 305. It mayhave a tooth side that touches and bonds to the tooth. The tooth sidemay be custom made to fit to a particular patient's particular tooth, itmay be made to fit a certain type of teeth for all patients, or it maybe made to fit all teeth indiscriminately. The orthodontic bracket sideof the base 303 may be connected to the base side of the floor 309. Theoutline of the base 303 may be rounded and smooth. The transitionbetween the orthodontic bracket body 305 and the base 303 and betweenthe base 303 and the tooth surface may be gradual and seamless.Alternatively, the base 303 may be omitted and the tooth-side of thefloor 309 can be bonded directly to the tooth.

To snap the archwire 353 into the orthodontic bracket 301, the male loop359 may be seated into the archwire insertion slot 347 and pushedocclusally. The side bars of male loop 359 may be made to slide alongthe vertical archwire slot 349. As the side bars of male loop 359 slidealong the vertical archwire slot 349, the arc of male loop 359 may glideover the springboard body 339 towards the springboard free end 343,causing the springboard body 339 to be depressed from its passivelocking position (FIG. 3G) towards the floor 309 into an activeunlocking position (FIG. 3H). The springboard body 339 active unlockingposition may allow the arc of the male loop 359 to pass through. Oncethe arc of male loop 359 is pushed off the springboard free end 343, thespringboard body 339 may move from the active depressed unlockingposition (FIG. 3H) back to the passive locking position (FIG. 3G) tosnap the male loop 359 in place. The male loop 359 may remain in thepassive locked position (FIG. 3G) as the archwire 353 couples forces tothe orthodontic bracket 301 to move the teeth. The archwire 353 may thusbe held firmly and rigidly in place by the orthodontic bracket rails329, the bridge 307, the first floor level 311, the side of thespringboard body 339, the side of the stop 317, and the orthodonticbracket legs 335 when it is fully inserted, seated, and snapped inplace. This rigid fixation may help ensure the effective and efficienttransfer of force between the archwire 353 and the orthodontic bracket301 to produce predictable orthodontic forces.

To unsnap the archwire 353 from the orthodontic bracket 301, thespringboard body 339 may be depressed with an instrument through theaccess port 357. The free end 343 of the springboard 337 may then movetoward the floor 309 of the orthodontic bracket until the springboardprotuberance 345 touches the third floor level 315, thereby clearing themale loop 359 for withdrawal. This is the active unlocking position(FIG. 3H). After the male loop 359 is withdrawn from the orthodonticbracket 301, the springboard may move from the active unlocking position(FIG. 3H) back to the passive locking

FIGS. 4A-4E illustrate a different configuration of an orthodonticbracket 401 into which a male loop 419 of an archwire 417 may be snapfitted. FIG. 4A illustrates the orthodontic bracket 401 without anyloop; FIG. 4B illustrates the orthodontic bracket 401 after the maleloop 419 has been snapped into the orthodontic bracket 401; FIG. 4C is across-section of the view in FIG. 4B taken along the broken line4C/D/E-4C/D/E′ in FIG. 4B; FIG. 4D is a cross-section of the view inFIG. 4B taken along the broken line 4C/D/E-4C/D/E′ in FIG. 4B when thedistance between a free end 407 of a springboard 403 and a floor 415 isless than half the diameter of the male loop 419; and FIG. 4E is across-section of the view in FIG. 4B taken along the broken line4C/D/E-4C/D/E′ in FIG. 4B when the distance between the free end 407 ofthe springboard 403 and the floor 415 is more than the diameter of themale loop 419.

The components in FIGS. 4A-4E may be the same as the correspondingcomponents in FIGS. 3A-3H, except as now noted.

One difference between the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4A-4E and in FIGS.3A-3H may be how the springboard 403 functions to snap fit the archwire417 (which may be of any type, such as the archwire 101 or 202) intoplace. The springboard 403 may be a movable member that is connected toa bridge 411 at an angle less than 180 degrees. The springboard 403 mayhave an access port 409 in the middle to allow an instrument to accessand lift the springboard body 405 away from the floor 415. When thespringboard 403 is in a passive locked position (FIG. 4D), the distancebetween the free end 407 of the springboard 403 and the floor 415 may beless than half of the diameter of the archwire 417. When an instrumentis inserted through the access port 409 to lift the springboard body 405away from the floor 415, the point at which the distance between thefree end 407 of the springboard 403 and the floor 415 may be more thanthe diameter of the archwire 417 is an active unlocking position (FIG.4E).

The bridge 411 may be narrower in the occlusal-gingival direction thanthe bridge 307. The bridge 411 may not contain the access port 409.

A stop 413 may not contain the springboard opening 319, the springboardslot 321, the springboard slot outside opening 323, or the springboardslot inside opening 325.

The floor 415 may have only one level.

To snap the archwire 417 into the orthodontic bracket 401, the operatormay take the same steps as described in connection with FIGS. 3A-3H. Thesnap fitting mechanism may differ in that, as the side bars of a maleloop 419 (which may be of any type, such as the male loop 107 or 207)slides along a vertical archwire slot 421, the arc of the male loop 419may glide under the springboard body 405 towards the free end 407 of thespringboard, causing the springboard body 405 to be lifted from itspassive locking position (FIG. 4D) away from the floor 415 into anactive unlocking position (FIG. 4E). Once the arc of the male loop 419is pushed off the free end 407 of the springboard 405, the springboardbody 405 may move from the lifted active unlocking position (FIG. 4E)back to the passive locking position (FIG. 4D) to snap the male loop 419in place.

To unsnap the archwire 417, the free end 407 of the springboard 403 maymove from the passive locking position (FIG. 4D) to the active unlockingposition (FIG. 4E). This may be accomplished by lifting the springboardbody 405 with an instrument through the access port 409 so that the freeend 407 of the springboard 403 moves towards the bridge 411 of theorthodontic bracket 401 until the springboard 403 is in the activeunlocking position (FIG. 4E). After the male loop 419 is withdrawn fromthe orthodontic bracket 401, the springboard 403 may move from theactive unlocking position (FIG. 4E) back to the passive locking position(FIG. 4D).

FIGS. 5A-5E illustrate a different configuration of an orthodonticbracket 501 into which a male loop 513 of an archwire 515 may be snapfitted. FIG. 5A illustrates the orthodontic bracket 501 without any maleloop; FIG. 5B illustrates the orthodontic bracket 501 after the maleloop 513 has been snapped into the orthodontic bracket; FIG. 5C is across-section of the view in FIG. 5B taken along the broken line5C/D/E-5C/D/E′ in FIG. 5B; FIG. 5D is a cross-section of the view inFIG. 5B taken along the broken line 5C/D/E-5C/D/E′ in FIG. 5B when thedistance between a free end 507 of a springboard 503 and a floor 517 isless than the half the diameter of the male loop 513; and FIG. 5E is across-section of the view in FIG. 5B taken along the broken line5C/D/E-5C/D/E′ in FIG. 5B when the distance between the free end 507 ofthe springboard 503 and the floor 517 is more than the diameter of themale loop 513.

The components in FIGS. 5A-5E may be the same as the correspondingcomponents in FIGS. 4A-4E, except as now noted.

One functional difference between the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A-5Eand in FIGS. 4A-4E may be how the operator unsnaps the archwire 515 fromthe orthodontic bracket 501.

The springboard 503 may have a springboard extension 509 that extendstowards a stop 519. The springboard extension 509 may be along a planethat is parallel with orthodontic bracket rails 521. The springboardextension 509 may include a depression groove 511 that allows aninstrument to press down and depress the springboard extension 509towards the floor. There may not be any access port.

To snap the archwire 515 into the orthodontic bracket 501, the samesteps may be taken as discussed above in connection with FIGS. 4A-4E.

To unsnap the archwire 515 from the orthodontic bracket 501, the freeend 507 of the springboard 503 may be moved from a passive lockingposition to an active unlocking position. This may be accomplished bydepressing an instrument against the depression groove 511, causing thespringboard extension 509 to depress towards the floor 517. As thespringboard extension 509 depresses towards the floor 517, the free end507 may be concurrently lifted away from the floor 517 until thespringboard 503 is in the active unlocking position. After the male loop513 is withdrawn from the orthodontic bracket 501, the springboard 503may move from the active unlocking position (FIG. 5E) back to thepassive locking position (FIG. 5D).

FIGS. 6A-6F illustrate a different configuration of an orthodonticbracket 601 into which a male loop 609 of an archwire 611 may be snapfitted. FIG. 6A illustrates the orthodontic bracket 601 without any maleloop; FIG. 6B illustrates the orthodontic bracket 601 after the maleloop 609 has been snapped into the orthodontic bracket 601; FIG. 6C is abottom view of a bridge 603 and springboard 607 in FIG. 6B; FIG. 6D is across section of the view in FIG. 6B taken along the broken line6D/E/F-6D/E/F′ in FIG. 6B; FIG. 6E is a cross-section of the view inFIG. 6B taken along the broken line 6D/E/F-6D/E/F′ in FIG. 6B when thedistance between a free end 613 of the springboard 607 and a floor 615is less than the half the diameter of the male loop 609 wire; and FIG.6F is a cross-section of the view in FIG. 6B taken along the broken line6D/E/F-6D/E/F′ in FIG. 6B when the distance between the free end 613 ofthe springboard 607 and the floor 615 is more than the diameter of themale loop 609.

The components in FIGS. 6A-5F may be the same as the correspondingcomponents in FIGS. 5A-5E, except as now noted.

The bridge 603 may be formed by an orthodontic bracket wire extension605 that extends from the mesial orthodontic bracket rail 617 and theorthodontic bracket wire extension 605 that extends from the distalorthodontic bracket rail 619. Both orthodontic bracket wire extensions605 may extend and meet at the center of the orthodontic bracket whereone orthodontic bracket wire extension 605 may take a 90 degree turn andextend towards the occlusal end of the orthodontic bracket 601 and theother orthodontic bracket wire extension 605 may take a 90 degree turnand extend towards the gingival end of the orthodontic bracket 601.These orthodontic bracket wire extensions 605 may be movable memberssuch that when the springboard 607 is attached to the orthodonticbracket wire extension 605 and a depression groove 621 is depressedtowards the floor 615, the free end 613 of the springboard 607 may movefrom a passive locking position (FIG. 6E) to an active unlockingposition (FIG. 6F).

The springboard 607 may be a separate piece that is attached to thebridge 603 through bonding, welding, or any other technique.

To snap and unsnap the male loop 609 into the orthodontic bracket 601,the same steps may be taken as described above in connection with FIGS.5A-5E.

FIGS. 7A-7F illustrate a different configuration of an orthodonticbracket 701 into which a male loop 719 of an archwire may be snapfitted. FIG. 7A illustrates the orthodontic bracket 701 without any maleloop; FIG. 7B illustrates the orthodontic bracket 701 after the maleloop 719 has been snapped into the orthodontic bracket 701; FIG. 7C is across-section of the view in FIG. 7B taken along the broken line7C/E/F-7C/E/F′ in FIG. 7B; FIG. 7D is a cross-section of the view inFIG. 7A taken along the broken line 7D-7D′ in FIG. 5A; FIG. 7E is across-section of the view in FIG. 7B taken along the broken line7C/E/F-7C/E/F′ in FIG. 7B when a height 711 blocks the withdraw of themale loop 719; and FIG. 7F is a cross-section of the view in FIG. 7Btaken along the broken line 7C/E/F-7C/E/F′ in FIG. 7B when the male loop719 is lifted beyond the height 711 to allow withdraw of the male loop719.

The components in FIGS. 7A-7F may be the same as the correspondingcomponents in FIGS. 3A-3H, except as now noted.

One functional difference between the embodiments in FIGS. 7A-7F and5A-5E may be that the springboard 703 may be a nonmoving member. To snapfit the loop male 719 into the orthodontic bracket 701, the male loop719 may be deflected within its elastic limit as it rides over thespringboard 703 during its insertion path. A description of thismechanism is provided below.

The springboard 703 may be a non-movable member. The most occlusalportion of the springboard 703 may be a springboard end 707. Thespringboard end 707 may have an access port 717 that allows aninstrument to access underneath the archwire when it is in the snappedposition. The springboard end 707 may be in a position that is alwaysocclusal to a bridge 709. The distance between the floor 715 and theedge of the springboard end 707 that is furthest away from the floor 715may be the height 711 of the springboard 703. The angle between thespringboard 703 and the floor 715 may be such that: (1) the distancebetween the floor 715 and the height 711 of the springboard 703 is morethan the distance between the floor 715 and the base side of the bridge709; (2) the distance between the floor 715 and the base side of thebridge 709 is more than the diameter of the archwire, allowing for themale loop 719 to pass through during insertion of the archwire 353; and(3) the minimum distance between the floor 715 and the height 711 of thespringboard 703 is half the diameter of the male loop 719.

The bridge 709 may be narrower in the occlusal-gingival direction thanin what is shown in FIGS. 3A-3H. The bridge 709 may not contain theaccess port 717.

The stop 713 may not contain a springboard opening, a springboard slot,a springboard slot outside opening, or a springboard slot insideopening.

The floor 715 may have only one level.

To snap an archwire into the orthodontic bracket 701, the operator maytake the same steps as described in connection with the embodiment inFIGS. 3A-3H. However, side bars of the male loop 719 may slide along avertical archwire slot 723, and the arc of the male loop 719 may glideover the springboard body 705 towards the springboard end 707, causingthe male loop 719 to deflect within its elastic limits to the activearchwire unlocking state. Once the arc of male loop 719 is pushed pastthe height 711 of the springboard 703 located at the springboard end707, the male loop 719 may move from the active archwire unlocking stateto the passive archwire locking state.

To unsnap the male loop 719, an instrument may be inserted into theaccess port 717 to lift the male loop 719 from the passive archwirelocking position (FIG. 7E) to the active archwire unlocking position(FIG. 7F). When the male loop 719 is in the active archwire unlockingposition (FIG. 7F), a force may be exerted in the gingival directionupon the orthodontic bracket legs 725 or the arc of the male loop 719,disengaging the male loop 719 from the orthodontic bracket 701. As themale loop 719 is disengaged from the orthodontic bracket 701, the maleloop 107 may return to the passive archwire locking position (FIG. 7E).

FIGS. 8A-8E illustrate a different configuration of an orthodonticbracket 801 into which a male loop 821 of an archwire may be snapfitted. FIG. 8A illustrates the orthodontic bracket 801 without any maleloop; FIG. 8B illustrates the orthodontic bracket 801 after the loop 821has been snapped into the orthodontic bracket; FIG. 8C is across-section of the view in FIG. 8B taken along the broken line8C/D/E-8C/D/E′ in FIG. 8B; FIG. 8D is a cross-section of the view inFIG. 8B taken along the broken line 8C/E/F-8C/E/F′ in FIG. 8B when theheight 822 blocks the withdraw of the male loop 821; and FIG. 8F is across-section of the view in FIG. 8B taken along the broken line8C/E/F-8C/E/F′ in FIG. 8B when the male loop 821 is lifted beyond theheight 822 to allow withdraw of the male loop 821.

The components in FIGS. 8A-8E may be the same as the correspondingcomponents in FIGS. 7A-7F, except as now noted.

The bridge 805 may be formed by an orthodontic bracket rail protuberance819 that extends from a mesial orthodontic bracket rail 813 and anorthodontic bracket rail protuberance 819 that extends from the distalorthodontic bracket rail 813. Both orthodontic bracket railprotuberances 819 may extend towards but may not join at the center ofthe orthodontic bracket 801.

The area of the orthodontic bracket body 803 located near the occlusalend of the springboard 703 may be cut away to reduce bulk of theorthodontic bracket base.

To snap and unsnap the loop 821 into or out of the orthodontic bracket801, the same steps may be taken that are discussed above in connectionwith 7A-7F.

FIGS. 9A-9B illustrate a different configuration of an orthodonticbracket 901 and a different configuration of an archwire 913. FIG. 9Aillustrates the orthodontic bracket 901 and the archwire 913 in snappedposition. FIG. 9B is a cross-section of the view in FIG. 9A taken alongthe broken line 9B-9B′.

The male loops discussed above may be replaced with a male lockinginsert 915. This insert 915 may have various shapes, such as atriangular cross section. The male locking insert 915 may cooperate witha springboard 909.

The orthodontic bracket 901 may have a space to receive the male lockinginsert 915 that is surrounded by four walls: a floor 903, mesial anddistal side walls 905, and a bridge 907. The opening 911 may be in aboutthe middle of the bridge 907. The bridge 907 on the side where theinsert 915 enters the orthodontic bracket 901 may be level with thefloor 903. The bridge 907 on the opposite side may be slanted to meetwith the floor 903. That bridge 907 may match the slant of thespringboard 909.

To snap the archwire 913 in place, the springboard 909 may be insertedinto the orthodontic bracket 901 with its height facing a rectangularopening 911. The insertion may force the height to deflect, causing thelowering of its profile and allowing it to snap into the orthodonticbracket 901. Once the height of the springboard 909 passes the bridge907 on the gingival side of the opening 911, the springboard 909 mayrecover from the deflection, returning the profile of the springboard909 to its original height and locking the insert 915 in place.

To unsnap the insert 915, an instrument may be used to press on theheight of the springboard 909 through the opening 911 to cause thespringboard 909 to deflect. The profile of the springboard 909 may belowered until the height is below the bridge 907 to allow withdrawal ofthe insert 915.

FIGS. 10A-10C illustrate a different configuration of an orthodonticbracket 1001 and a different configuration of an archwire 1007. FIG. 10Aillustrates the archwire 1007 with a protuberance 1003. FIG. 10Billustrates an example of the orthodontic bracket 1001 that may be aself-ligating bracket modified to have the compartment 1005. Other typesof orthodontic brackets could similarly be modified to have thecompartment 1005, such as a twin bracket, a single wing bracket, or aribbon arch bracket. FIG. 10C shows the orthodontic bracket 1001 in FIG.10A with the self-ligating door removed.

The male loops may be replaced with stops, eyelets, indentations, or anytype of protuberance 1003 that allows control of the orthodontic bracket1001 in three dimensions, while also preventing the archwire 1007 fromsliding after it is engaged with the orthodontic bracket 1001. Avertical tube can be added to the protuberance 1003 to allow auxiliariessuch as hooks to be added when necessary.

The orthodontic bracket 1001 may be in the form of any orthodonticbracket, such a self-ligating bracket, a twin bracket, a single wingbracket, or a ribbon arch bracket. The orthodontic bracket 1001 may bemodified such that there is the compartment 1005 in the internal aspectof the orthodontic bracket 1001 to receive the protuberance 1003 in sucha way that allows the protuberance 1003 to couple forces with theorthodontic bracket 1001 in three dimensions in a non-sliding manner.

FIG. 11A illustrates a different configuration of an orthodontic bracket1101 and a different configuration of an archwire 1103.

Archwire male loops may be removed and replaced with stops, eyelets,indentations, or any type of protuberance 1105 on the mesial and distalaspects of the orthodontic bracket 1101. These protuberances may act asstops to prevent the archwire 1103 from sliding.

The bracket 1101 may be any type orthodontic bracket, such as aself-ligating bracket, a twin bracket, a single wing bracket, or aribbon arch bracket.

An archwire may be activated by deflecting it away from its defaultposition and inserting into a snapped position within an orthodonticbracket that is bonded to a tooth. When this elastic deflection occurs,the archwire may exert a reaction force in the direction that returnsthe archwire to the designed configuration, thereby transferring forcesto the tooth and causing orthodontic tooth movement.

This archwire activation may completely control any tooth movement inthree-dimensional space.

For mesio-distal tooth movement, if there is space between adjacentteeth, snap fitting an archwire into an orthodontic bracket may cause aninterproximal loop to open, which may cause the archwire to beactivated, leading to closing of space in the mesial-distal direction.Whereas, if there is overlap between adjacent teeth, archwire snapfitting into an orthodontic bracket may cause an interproximal loop toclose, which may cause the archwire also to be activated, this timeleading to opening of space in the mesial-distal direction.

For occlusal-gingival tooth movement, if the adjacent teeth are not atthe same level, an archwire snap fitting into an orthodontic bracket maycause connecting archwire legs and interproximal loops to deflect in aslanted manner which may cause the archwire to be activated, leading totooth correction in the occlusal-gingival direction.

For facio-lingual tooth movement, archwire snap fitting into anorthodontic bracket may cause the wire to be pushed away from itsoriginal position which may cause the archwire to be activated, leadingto tooth correction in the facio-lingual direction.

The various configurations of archwires and orthodontic brackets thathave been discussed may provide one or more advantages. These are nowdiscussed.

There may be superior mesio-distal angulation and facio-lingualinclination orthodontic control because the vertical male loop may offera longer arm for coupling forces to the orthodontic bracket whencompared to the rectangular dimensions of an edgewise appliance.Moreover, the spread of the two parallel side bars of the male loop maymake them function like a twin orthodontic bracket in providing a forcecouple in dealing with any axial rotation.

The interproximal loops may allow the operator to adjust the rigidity ofthe archwire, which may provide versatility for the same archwirediameter to be used in a wide array of cases.

The interproximal loops can be designed to allow patients to easilyfloss while undergoing orthodontic treatment.

The interproximal loops may be designed to have a certain type of shape(such as a “boot” or a “tear”). These shapes can be used to hold elasticrubber bands.

The archwire may be designed such that it can be activated to move theteeth. This type activation may be self-activating and self-limitingbecause it may not require use of external forces such as power chainand coil springs to move the teeth. This type of activation may also beself-limiting because the archwire may only exert forces that return thearchwire to its original shape, negating the need for frequentappointments.

This approach may also not permit sliding of the archwire with respectto the orthodontic bracket, thus making movement of the teeth much morepredictable.

The orthodontic bracket can be manufactured using casting, metalinjection molding, 3D printing, micromachining, any combination ofgeneric mass production and customization techniques, and/or any directdigital manufacturing technique. The archwire can be bent by theoperator, through a wire-bending robot, and/or through any other processthat can set the shape of the wire to a pre-determined shape.

The orthodontic appliances that have been described may be used invarious ways.

If the system has a base that is fully customized to the tooth, thesteps are may include:

-   -   Images of teeth may be obtained by using a digital intra-oral        scanner, a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) X-ray scanner,        or by taking polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) impressions, followed by        pouring of study models and scanning of the study model. Digital        images of teeth can be rendered in imaging software where each        tooth image can be segmented from the whole dental arch image        and then re-arranged in an expected alignment, a process known        as virtual set-up of teeth.    -   Baseless orthodontic bracket images may be digitally placed onto        teeth in locations that fit the preference of the user. Bases of        orthodontic brackets may be custom designed with the tooth side        of the bases fitting perfectly to the tooth surfaces where        orthodontic brackets are to be bonded, and the orthodontic        bracket side of the bases may merge and connect with the base        side of the orthodontic bracket. At this point, orthodontic        bracket positioning jigs may also be custom designed.        Orthodontic bracket positioning jigs may be used to register the        orthodontic bracket correctly to the tooth surface during        bonding or rebonding of orthodontic brackets clinically.    -   Archwires may be custom designed to connect the generic male        loops inside the orthodontic brackets with interproximal loops        and the connecting archwire legs. The type and size of the        interproximal loops may vary according to the required        functions. The archwire legs may be designed to be parallel to        the biting surface.    -   After designing custom orthodontic brackets, the positioning        jigs and archwires may be complete. The virtual teeth set-up        with the virtually designed orthodontic brackets, positioning        jigs, and archwires may be sent to the user for approval and        adjustments may be made according to the user's request.    -   Once finalized, the CAD model of the orthodontic brackets,        positioning jigs, and archwires may be fabricated and shipped to        the user.    -   On receiving the custom made orthodontic brackets and        positioning jigs, the user can bond individual orthodontic        brackets on the teeth directly by using the positioning jigs as        a guide. Alternatively, orthodontic brackets can be bonded to        the teeth via an orthodontic indirect bonding method, which may        allow bonding of many orthodontic brackets at the same time.        When indirect bonding with the help of the positioning jigs,        orthodontic brackets may be bonded onto a physical model of        patients' teeth obtained either through 3D printing or via a        dental impression.    -   An indirect bonding tray may be fabricated using a process which        transfers the exact location of the orthodontic brackets on the        physical model to the indirect bonding tray.    -   After removal of orthodontic brackets from model teeth, the        orthodontic brackets may undergo processes such as sandblasting        to remove debris from the orthodontic bracket base as well as        increasing bonding strength.    -   The orthodontic archwire and indirect bonding tray with        orthodontic brackets intact may be shipped to user.    -   User may receive the orthodontic brackets imbedded in the        indirect bonding trays and a number of standard indirect bonding        procedures can be performed to bond the orthodontic brackets to        the patients' teeth clinically.    -   If orthodontic brackets with semi-custom made bases or        completely generic baseless orthodontic brackets are used, users        may choose to bond them directly to the teeth. However,        positioning jigs may need to be custom made in the event of        rebonding to position the orthodontic brackets back to the exact        position as the initial bonding. Archwires may also be custom        made. Therefore, images of teeth after initial bonding may be        obtained via intra-oral scanning and CBCT scanning.        Alternatively, the lower profile of the orthodontic brackets may        allow use of PVS impression for image acquisition. Again, the        images may be rendered in an imaging software program where each        tooth image can be segmented from the whole dental arch image so        that teeth can be reset virtually in expected alignment.    -   The design and fabrication of custom positioning jigs and        archwires may be carried out in the same way as described        previously. Once received by user, the first set of archwires        can be delivered to the patients' teeth with orthodontic        brackets already bonded. The positioning jigs may be kept in        case an orthodontic bracket breaks from the tooth and needs to        be rebounded. Alternatively, instead of waiting for the        fabrication of custom archwires, a semi-custom made initial        archwires may be delivered immediately after initial bonding.        These archwires may only be used temporarily until the user        receives the fully custom-made archwires. The generic archwires        may be made to fit teeth of a number of different sizes in a few        common alignments.

The various portions of the various brackets that have been describedmay be all part of a single integration piece of material, such assteel, aluminum, nickel-titanium, any other shape memory alloy, or anyother metal alloy, ceramic, zirconia, dental composite, or any otherplastic material. One or more of these components may instead be formedseparately from the others.

The components, steps, features, objects, benefits, and advantages thathave been discussed are merely illustrative. None of them, nor thediscussions relating to them, are intended to limit the scope ofprotection in any way. Numerous other embodiments are also contemplated.These include embodiments that have fewer, additional, and/or differentcomponents, steps, features, objects, benefits, and advantages. Thesealso include embodiments in which the components and/or steps arearranged and/or ordered differently.

Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions,magnitudes, sizes, and other specifications that are set forth in thisspecification, including in the claims that follow, are approximate, notexact. They are intended to have a reasonable range that is consistentwith the functions to which they relate and with what is customary inthe art to which they pertain.

All articles, patents, patent applications, and other publications thathave been cited in this disclosure are incorporated herein by reference.

The phrase “means for” when used in a claim is intended to and should beinterpreted to embrace the corresponding structures and materials thathave been described and their equivalents. Similarly, the phrase “stepfor” when used in a claim is intended to and should be interpreted toembrace the corresponding acts that have been described and theirequivalents. The absence of these phrases from a claim means that theclaim is not intended to and should not be interpreted to be limited tothese corresponding structures, materials, or acts, or to theirequivalents.

The scope of protection is limited solely by the claims that now follow.That scope is intended and should be interpreted to be as broad as isconsistent with the ordinary meaning of the language that is used in theclaims when interpreted in light of this specification and theprosecution history that follows, except where specific meanings havebeen set forth, and to encompass all structural and functionalequivalents.

Relational terms such as “first” and “second” and the like may be usedsolely to distinguish one entity or action from another, withoutnecessarily requiring or implying any actual relationship or orderbetween them. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” and any othervariation thereof when used in connection with a list of elements in thespecification or claims are intended to indicate that the list is notexclusive and that other elements may be included. Similarly, an elementpreceded by an “a” or an “an” does not, without further constraints,preclude the existence of additional elements of the identical type.

None of the claims are intended to embrace subject matter that fails tosatisfy the requirement of Sections 101, 102, or 103 of the Patent Act,nor should they be interpreted in such a way. Any unintended coverage ofsuch subject matter is hereby disclaimed. Except as just stated in thisparagraph, nothing that has been stated or illustrated is intended orshould be interpreted to cause a dedication of any component, step,feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public,regardless of whether it is or is not recited in the claims.

The abstract is provided to help the reader quickly ascertain the natureof the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding thatit will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of theclaims. In addition, various features in the foregoing detaileddescription are grouped together in various embodiments to streamlinethe disclosure. This method of disclosure should not be interpreted asrequiring claimed embodiments to require more features than areexpressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claimsreflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of asingle disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are herebyincorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing onits own as separately claimed subject matter.

1. An orthodontic appliance comprising: an archwire having aconfiguration that fits within a human mouth and containing multiplemale connectors; multiple orthodontic brackets, each have aconfiguration that facilitates attaching the orthodontic bracket to asingle tooth and that allows one of the male connectors to be: lockedinto the orthodontic bracket with a snapping action, the male connectorbeing unable to slide with respect to the orthodontic bracket afterbeing locked in the orthodontic bracket; and unlocked from theorthodontic bracket by a manual unlocking action that allows the maleconnector to disengage from the orthodontic bracket.
 2. The orthodonticappliance of claim 1 wherein each male connector is a male loop.
 3. Theorthodontic appliance of claim 2 wherein each male loop has a U orrectangular shape.
 4. The orthodontic appliance of claim 2 wherein eachmale loop is an integral portion of the archwire.
 5. The orthodonticappliance of claim 2 wherein the archwire includes an interproximal loopbetween each neighboring set of male loops.
 6. The orthodontic applianceof claim 5 wherein the interproximal loops face in the same direction asthe male loops.
 7. The orthodontic appliance of claim 5 wherein theinterproximal loops face in the opposite direction as the male loops. 8.The orthodontic appliance of claim 5 wherein each interproximal loop isan integral portion of the archwire.
 9. The orthodontic appliance ofclaim 2 wherein each orthodontic bracket has a slot into which a maleconnector is inserted during the snapping action.
 10. The orthodonticappliance of claim 9 wherein each slot has an inclined surface acrosswhich a portion of the male loop slides during the snapping action. 11.The orthodontic appliance of claim 10 wherein each inclined surface endsin an edge over which a portion of the male loop slides at the end ofthe snapping action.
 12. The orthodontic appliance of claim 11 whereineach slot has two parallel rails that surround and contact an exteriorportion of the male loop and prevent the male loop from moving laterallywith respect to the orthodontic bracket after the male loop is insertedinto the orthodontic bracket and locked by the snapping action.
 13. Theorthodontic appliance of claim 12 wherein each slot has a floor thatcontacts a side of the male loop and that comes between the male loopand the tooth to which the orthodontic bracket is attached after themale loop is inserted into the orthodontic bracket and locked by thesnapping action.
 14. The orthodontic appliance of claim 13 wherein eachslot has a bridge that contacts an opposite side of the male loop afterthe male loop is inserted into the orthodontic bracket and locked by thesnapping action.
 15. The orthodontic appliance of claim 10 wherein eachinclined surface bends while the male loop is being inserted into theorthodontic bracket and unbend at the end of the snapping action. 16.The orthodontic appliance of claim 10 wherein each inclined surface doesnot bend while the male loop is being inserted into the orthodonticbracket.
 17. The orthodontic appliance of claim 9 wherein: the archwireincludes two legs connecting each male connector to the archwire; andeach slot includes two concave portions that each seat one of the twolegs during the locking.
 18. The orthodontic appliance of claim 2wherein: each male loop has side legs; and each orthodontic bracketincludes a stop that prevents the side legs from collapsing when themale loop is locked in the orthodontic bracket.
 19. An archwire for adental appliance comprising multiple, spaced-apart U- orrectangular-shaped male loops, each having a configuration that allowsthe U- or rectangular-shaped male loop to lock into a correspondingorthodontic bracket that is attached to a tooth with a snapping actionthat does not allow the loop to slide with respect to the orthodonticbracket after the male loop is locked in the orthodontic bracket. 20.The archwire of claim 19 wherein the archwire includes an interproximalloop between each neighboring set of male loops.
 21. (canceled)